Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1836-1922 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more

Download & Play

Questions

Newspaper Page Text

THEMONTANA NEWS.
UnionsNever^C^n Win Out
Weoften hear unionists say ' If every workingman belonged to a union^and would be loyal to their organizations in time of trouble, we could^make the capitalists come to time.^ Let us see if they are right. Sup^^pose every working man in the Cnited States would join the union of his^craft, and steadfastly refuse to scab. W ould that settle the labor ques^^tion^ .Would that bring victory to organized labor^ Not in a thousand^years. On the contrary, unreasonable though it may seem to the average^union man, that would make matters infinitely worse for organi/ed labor.^In fact, it would deal the death blow to ^pure and simple^ unionism, and^precipitate the industrial revolution.
Supposetomorrow every working man joins the union of his craft, and^that all the unions of the country are welded into one complete federa^^tion, which is the dream of all progressive unionists. There are todaj^approximately one million idle men. The fact that they entered the un^^ions would not put them to work, since all the jobs are filled. I hev^and their families must live, and to prevent them from going to work at^w hatever wages they can get to prevent them from scabbing they and^their families must be provided with at least enough lor their daily exist^ence. If this is not done, their admission into the union is a farce, for^they will be compelled to continue their former practice of taking any job^and wages they can get. Is the organization going to take upon itself the^burden of maintaining day after day these million men and their families^^How long would their treasury hold out^ The very question is enough.^It may be contended that the men who were working could be assessed a^portion of their wages to maintain a fund for this purpose. Very well:^but that would decrease their income, thereby lowering to that extent the^union scale. The greater the number of unemployed, the greater propor^tion of their wages those working would have to give up, and consequent^ly the lower the general scale of union wages. Thus the principle aim of^unionism high wages^ would be defeated by unionism itself.
Hutthis is not all the trouble that would result from an ^universal^^union. In case of a strike, if all the workers were loyal, the situation^would be simply this: either the men would stay out until they gothnngry,^when the organization would go utterly to pieces, or the capitalists, not^being able to operate their business with scab labor, would resort to the^militia and the bull ben all over the country^and then the revolution.^The essential principle of unionism repudiates the idea of a universal un-^nion. That principle is: under the capitalist system, where there is al^ways a considerable percentage of idle workers, the unions succeed at the^expense of the workers who are not in the unions. If a union is success^^ful, it simply means that it has made a compact with employers whereby^the employers will hire none but union labor, or, that they will not hire^non union labor Right here the non-union workers are placed at a dis^^advantage in the struggle f^^r jobs, and the union workers get their jobs^anil high w iges at the non-unionists expense. In our present situation of^two men for every job, in proportion as the unions go up the non union^^ists go down.
Wecan see also that the most successful union is the one that num^^bers no more members than can find employment. I nions cannot create^jobs for their members: all they can possibly do is to fill the existing iobs;^their union is weakened thereby, since ;m idle unionist is under constant^pressure 'through his stomach) to become a scab.
Unionmen should not long for all the toilers in the the land to enlist^under the banner of organized labor, unless they wish to see union wages^and fair ^o, ditiOBl pulled down to the level of the unorganized workers,^anil in the hour ot stu-ss the whole structure of the movement to foil down^upon their heads.
Thereis another truth that stands out in bold relief, and stares every^intelligent union man in the face. It is, that a union card is a good thing^for the man with a job, but to I man who is permanently out of employ^^ment, it is not worth its ink. This is enough to demonstrate the insutli^cient of trades unionism to materially improve the condition of even those^w ithin it. An organi/ation that ^ at.not guarantee a job to every member^is weak at the very point where it should be strongest. The job is the^workers' means ot existence, and an organization that does not control^the job is superficial, and will disappear as the job disappears.
Unionmen, the thing to do is to own the jobs. Then the industrial^fight is won. Strikes are forever abolished. There is then no chance for^men to scab. In the Socialist republic we ourselves will determine the^conditions under w hich we shall work, and instead of union wages we will^take the whole product of our toil.
T,P. incurs.
StateSecretary Imbued With
0 Butteism Scores All Others
Hutte,Montana, August 14. w^oi.
Mr.J. II. Walsh, Helena, Montana,^Dear Comrade:
Yoursof August nth I have concluded to answer further not that I^want to ipiarrel or make atiy further fuss. Hut since I received yours I^received one from Mrs. Haz.lett and it makes me feel a little cross ways^to have Hutte found fault with. I haven't seen any wings sprouting on^any Hutte comrade but I believe there is some very good men amongst^them, even if they do not take the Montana News, anil if the balance of^the state put up as much, or denighed themselves as much for Socialism^as the Hutte comrades, the News or anything even Socialistic, would not^want any iacking-up. We sure have some dead ones in Hutte, but I as^^sure you that it is not going to do any good tor anv one in Helena or the^southeastern part of this state to call us dead ones or any other name.
NowHutte brought Mrs. Ilazlett here, as good an exponent of Socia^^lism as ever trod the state, ami the dead ones of Helena gave her the^enormous sum of $3.60 for speaking to a large crowd for an hour and a^half and held their attention and the crowd put up $0.70; large crowd^Jt6.70; large crowd *6.70, and she got $3.00, and then talk about dead^ones in Hutte. Now when the state committee were talking about this^trip that she is on they instruc ted me to charge Helena and Creat I*alls^#10 for one night, $15 for two .md $20 for three, because they were large^towns. I told them that they had better make one llat rate for each town^and if there was any thing left after paying her wages and expenses to^send her to the place that seemed to want her most. I followed the state^committee's instructions to the letter and I wrote Helena about the mat^^ter and never heard from them.
NowI think it is about time for residents of Helena to nnit talking^about dead ones; get to work anil do something for Socialism.
NowMr. Walsh, kindly remember one thing; that Hutte might be chuck^full of live Socialists and not one copy of the News come here. It is up^to you to make the News a paper that they will all want; of course I know^that the Socialists of this state should support one paper, and so far as I^am concerned, would as soon it would be the News as any other, and a^little rather; am anxious the state should support at least one Socialist^paper, a Van, an a No. 1 speaker and an organizer, and all the other^hings that go with these things mentioned. But it will never come about
ml'^(
SocialistReview
aslong as the comrades of one town shout dead ones or complain ^f Tlip llltpril^ tinil 11^sharp practice against the comrades .if another town.' HI IVIIM I H Midi
Whenwe get down to business and are reallv comrades, not only for^^get about our town, but ourselves, and work for Socialism. Then we can^call each other comrades, and Socialism will thrive. Hut if when we do^a noble act. we get upon some high place and shout, there! see what I^have done: why don't the Socialists t Hutte or Helena or any other place^do as well
Nowone more word about the paper. I will endeavor to keep my sub^^scription paid up, but remember one thing that I am poor and depend on^wages to live, and if times get so hard that I cannot pay for it and still^can squeeze out a dollar for propaganda in some other way, that 1 am not^dead. I know of several Hutte comrades who are giving fj per month^for propoganda, that I think are not taking the News; good men too; they^have to earn every dollar by hard knocks and are trying tu make their^dollars go as far as possible.
Nowabout Mills and high prices, he has said that he w as going through^the state, makes what I claim is a fair proposition. If anv of the locals^want him at that figure all right. Hut if he gets no dates in Montana and^ever asks me, I will answer him truthfully, that the price was too high,^and will also tell him it is no way to rush through a state on a star^route.
SoI don't think it is best to light the proposition, if he comes through^without dates in Montana and funis that no one has been knocking, will^lay it to other things and will never know the real cause
Withregard to the candidates hustling into the field, 1 will show this^to the chairman of the state committee and it he ami they see fit to acton^this suggestion all right; but reine nl^er that there is no executive power^given to the state secretery, and the more I see of it, the more I think^there should not be.
NowComrade Walsh don't get angry at me for this letter. 1 want to^be a comrade to every Socialist in the state. Hut I do hate knocking,^fault finding and back-biting so. I am for Socialism regardless of the^dead ones in Hutte, Helena or anv other place. The world is mv country^and Socialism is my greatest ambition. Yours for Socialism,
Wm.h. pierce.
Boycotton Meat^Extends to Helena
HeadquartersHelena Trades and^Labor Assembly. Helena, Montana.
Whereas,Since the organization^of the meat trust the prices of meat^to the consumer have been increased^to a figure that is prohibitive to the^poor and 'added burden to every^laborer no matter how prosperous^he may be; and on the other hand,^the prices of live stock to the pro^^ducer havelieen cut almost in half,^so that the meat trust is annually^making added millions of dollars by^taking them from the legitimate price^of live stock, and is adding other^millions of dollars to its profits an^^nually by taxing the consumer and^adding an unreasonable price. The^meat trust, by virtue of its monopo^^listic position, being the exclusive^buyer and the exclusive seller, is^robbing the people of many millions^of dollars annually - money that it^has no moral or legal right to^and^not-withstanding this fact, it now^rapaciously demands still other add^^ed dollars of profit that are to be^secured by a reduction of the wages^of its employees. And,
Whereas,The affiliated packing^house unions have been compelled^to strike against a reduction of wag^^es and unjust treatment, and all ef^^forts made by the labor unions in^^volved to secure a fair arbitrament^have proved fruitless, and have been^met w ith the assertion from the trust^packing houses, that the fight is on^and that there would be no compro^^mise and that the finish would be the^destruction of the unions. To the^end that every union man may as^^sist his union brother who is con^^tending with this gigantic robber^trust for a iust wage and for just^treatment and decent conditions in^which to labor, it is hereby,
Resolved.By the Helena Trades^and l abor Assemblv that all mem-^; bers of labor unions affiliated with^: it shall from this date refrain from^The opening article in the August ^si^* ^,n', decline to purchase anv of^International Socialist Review hv ' the products of:
CutOut This Duplicate;^Send $10 and Help Out.
W '% Certificate of Share
Helena,Montana.
ThisCertificate of Stock is issued to-
10(11.
forthe sum of $ 10.00, non-assessable and non interest bearing for the^purpose of securing a Paper Press to be installed 111 the Montana News^office, anil to be the property of the stock holders until such time as all^stock has been canceled by cash payment. Provided, that no share ot^stock shall be transferable, and shall be numbered consecutively as sold,^and paid in the same manner, and that not more than one hundred and^fifty shares shall be sold for the said purpose of paying for, and installing^a Power Paper Press complete. This share shall be considered a lien for^the sum of ^10.00 upon the said press until the same is c anceled by pay^^ment in cash.
15heMONTANA NEWS
Pr^Manager
l'.rnestI nterman on The F.thics^of Historical Materialism^ is one of^the most suggestive and instructive^discussions of Socialist philosophy^that has appeared for sometime. It^shows that the ethical foundation ol^Socialism is based on a much firmer^foundation than is commonly rea^^lized. Algernon I.ee gives a sharp^clear reply to Robert R. l.aMotite's^attack on the trade union policy of^the Socialist party, showing that^the unions are a present fact w hich^must be dealt with and c annot be^theorized away. The second en-^stallment of the artic les on ^Indus^^trial Concentration in the I nited^States^ by A. M. and May W ood^Simons, covers the period of the^civil war, and presents for the first^time in printed form the industrial^side and results of the great struggle,^showing its importance in the for^^mative period of American capital^ism. In a somewhat lighter vein^than most of 'he contents of the In^^ternational Socialist Review is the^first series of ^Letters from a Pork^Packer's Stenographer.^ In a sharp^entertaining and chatty manner the^inside workings of the great meat^trust are laid bare. This is especial^^ly timelv in view of the great strike^of the packing house employes.^There are numerous other articles^dealing with subjects bearing of So^cialist philosophy and tactics, to^gethervvith the usual departments^on the W orld of l abor ^ in w hic h^Max S. I layes gives the labor record^of the presidential candidates 1 So^cialism Abroad, book reviews, etc.
CharlesII. Kerr A Co.. }^ Fifth^Ave., Ceicago, $ 1.00 a year, 10 cts.^a copv.
ButteLocal No. I, Socialist^Party) meets every Monday, 8^p. tn.. at 121 North Main street,^in main hall. Butte Women's^Socialist Guild meets at same time^and place, in front hall.
Armour^V Co., Cudahv It Co.,^Swift It Co.. Morris \ Co.,^who form the meat trust and who^are shippers of fresh, dressed, pre^^served and canned meats of all^kinds, candles and soaps, the latter^brands being:
LightHouse Soap. Hiamond C^Soap, Swift's Pride Soap. ^^the state l^eing districted by the^trust arid one of the above soaps al-^loted to each district. And it is^further.
Resolved.That all labor union^men be requested and earnestly^urged to demand and use.
Perry'sWhite Rosebud Soap,^manufactured in the Citv of Helena^and which is the only union made^soap ottered in the local market.
Hatedat Helena. Montana, the^third day of August, nineteen bund*^red and four.
FRANKandrews, Pres.^W. W . HILLI8. Sec.
IDACRODCH-HAZLETT 1^UI
Hamilton12 ad, Ijrd, 2 |th.^Stevensville 26.^M issoula - ;-2^)^Bonner ;o- 51.^Hutte Sept 1 4.^latin Sept 5, I abor I lay.^Hutte Sept. I to 1.0 inclusive^I odus Mil: X.
Ex-
Beginningwith the next looue^Franklin H. Wentworth, one of^the most brilliant Socialist writers
ofthis country, will become ^ rag*^ular contributor of The Comrade,
Hewill write a monthly review of^current events. Those who re^^member Comrade Wentwocth'i^splendid work in the Socialist^Spirit will know that this review^promise*. U^ be a very interesting^feature of future issues of The
Comrade.